A perfectly preserved Peruvian Chimu culture sculpture in the form of an intriguing wooden figure, has been found at a ceremonial center near Chan Chan, Trujillo in northern Peru. Dated between 850 and 1500 years old, the form and art style of the well-preserved wooden sculpture is from the early Chimu culture period, which was a flourishing pre-Hispanic civilization that called its capital city Chan Chan.
Chan Chan, derived from the Quingnam word Jiang or Chang, which means “sun,” was the largest city in the pre-Hispanic Americas before it was conquered and incorporated into the Inca Empire in 1470 AD. It was pushed into further ignominy after Pizarro’s conquests and the founding of the nearby Spanish city of Trujillo in 1535. Chan Chan was renowned for its great riches and looted frequently by the Spanish.
The Wooden Chimu Sculpture: Bearer of Sacred Objects
Peru’s Ministry of Culture reported the find last Tuesday, as part of excavation work in the third stage of the “Recovery of the Huaca Takaynamo of the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex” project. Huacas are natural objects or monuments, such as large rocks or even hills, that were given significance and revered by the indigenous of Peru and are found throughout the country.
The recently discovered Chimu sculpture measured 46 x 16 centimeters (18 x 6.2 inches). It is a human figure, likely a ruler’s ceremonial bearer of ritual objects, wearing a distinctive trapezoid-shaped hat. The statue is described in reports as “ornate,” which seems to be a bit of a stretch. But these things are relative to time and location.
The effigy is decorated with seven vertical, alternating light and dark stripes. The figure has a flat oval face and nose, red in color, and almond-shaped eyes. Originally, this statue was adorned by mother-of-pearl plates attached with black resin glue, probably produced by mollusks. Interestingly, the figure is wearing a small triangular-cut skirt decorated with small rectangular bands, matching the stripes and design on the hat.
“We have found a wooden sculpture in perfect condition belonging to the Chimú culture in the Chan Chan archaeological complex,” archaeologist Arturo Paredes, head of the special state project investigating Chan Chan, said to AFP. He added that the figure is probably a porter, a person who carried sacred objects for the elites in rituals and ceremonies.
New Ceremonial Building Evidence on Chan Chan Periphery
The Director of the Chan Chan Archaeological Complex Special Project, César Gálvez Mora explained that there is significant new evidence for the existence of a ceremonial building on the periphery of the main Chan Chan complex.
Janie Gómez, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Industries of Peru, said in government statement that “the country could live very well just by valuing its (archaeological) monuments. We have a number and variety of sites with exceptional characteristics.”
The dig, scheduled to last for 8 months, began on April 11th of this year, and is surrounded by the populous district of La Esperanza, about 5 km (3.1 miles) from the modern city of Trujillo, Peru.
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